In currently deployed broadband communication network systems, billing systems have a limitation in that they associate a Media Access Control (“MAC”) address of a Media Terminal Adaptor (“MTA”) MAC address with a “customer,” or subscriber. Because of this one-to-one association of customer to MTA MAC address, a service provider cannot separately bill multiple “customers,” including individual persons or entities, from a Multi-line Embedded Media Terminal adaptor (“EMTA”). Even though multiple devices, or ‘subscribers’ can be coupled to a multi-line EMTA, current billing systems bill based on usage corresponding to the multi-line EMTA's MAC address. This presents a problem because the billing system does not separate usage by individual, and thus, for users who split a bill equally, a light user may pay as much as a heavy user without knowing they are paying more than their fair share.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a communication device 2 that provides multiple telephony lines of service 4 to multiple devices from device; in the embodiment shown an EMTA device coupled to a hybrid fiber coaxial cable network 6. Device 2 includes typically cable modem (“CM”) circuitry 8, and typical media terminal adaptor (“MTA”) circuitry 10. As known in the art, CM circuitry comprises radio frequency circuitry for tuning to particular channels over an HFC network, and also include other circuitry and software to modulate and demodulate (i.e., MODEM) information carried across the network according to a communication protocol, typically quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”). In an EMTA, which includes CM circuitry and MTA circuitry, the MTA circuitry interfaces with the CM circuitry and provides processing of telephony signals between a telephone coupled thereto and the CM circuitry. The MTA circuitry performs such functions as providing a dial tone, sending a signal to a traditional telephone device that causes it to ring, compressing and decompressing voice signals, etc.
The CM circuitry 8 and the MTA circuitry 10 both have corresponding MAC addresses, 12 and 14 respectively. Every device manufactured has a unique MAC address for the CM and MTA portions, and thus, serves to distinguish to other devices, such as a cable modem termination system (“CMTS”), call management server (“CMS”), TFTP server, DHCP server, etc, the EMTA components from all others coupled to HFC 6. However, after EMTA 2 boots, other devices coupled to network 6 cannot distinguish any one of lines 4 from any other of lines 4.
With respect to the boot process of an EMTA, FIG. 2 illustrates typical steps known in the art for booting an EMTA. Therefore, detailed discussion of the boot process is not provided here, except to note that ‘DS’ and ‘US’ in the figure refers to ‘downstream’ and ‘upstream’ respectively. In addition, the figure refers to step 265 to distinguish it from a corresponding step discussed later with respect to FIG. 4.
Thus, based on the discussion above, the communication systems art needs a method and system that can determine usage of multiple entities that all couple to the same broadband connection device, such as a cable modem, MTA, EMTA, DSL modem, etc.
One solution has been to develop a chassis based multi-line EMTA. Essentially, a single housing includes circuitry for multiple MTAs inside, each basically a stand-alone device. Such an arrangement is bulky, costly, produces heat corresponding to the number of MTA circuits inside, and requires a large power supply.
Thus, there is a need for a method that provides support for multiple MTA lines from a singe broadband connection device that does not require significantly more power, physical space, connectors, etc. as compared to a single broadband connection device.